Unrepresented Oklahoma students need more help finding jobs | Opinion

These students are from communities of color, rural areas, low-income families, and first-generation backgrounds. They are often stuck attending underfunded schools with low graduation rates, limited resources, undertrained teachers, overburdened counselors, and scarce opportunities for college preparation. As more jobs in our state demand postsecondary education, these systematic disparities directly threaten the strength of Oklahoma’s economy.

Oklahoma’s Ryan Walters is attacking DEI instead of helping college attainment

As the Oklahoma State Department of Education reports that nearly 80% of jobs will require postsecondary education by next year, it’s concerning that state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters, who leads the department, is more focused on attacking diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives rather than college attainment. While Superintendent Walters, Gov. Kevin Stitt, and other legislators nationwide ban DEI initiatives, Oklahoma’s college-going rate has not increased more than 45% since 2017. On the other hand, the state Education Department responded to educational disparities by quietly lowering testing standards, failing to tackle the root causes of our poor education rankings.